I spent more than a few hours on Tuesday gathering and optimizing images for the Photographing Fort DeSoto’s Fall Wading Birds video. Though only eight minutes long, there are lots of good images along with some solid wading bird info and photography tips. All are invited to leave a comment letting us know which single image in the video they think is the strongest, and why.
I changed my Auto Train reservation and will be heading back to Florida on 13 September.
Today is Wednesday 1 September. My, how time is flying by. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.
Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks like me, who spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.
This blog post took about eight hours to prepare (including the time spent on creating the video) and makes 244 consecutive days with a new one. Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save 3% at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Photographing Fort DeSoto’s Fall Wading Birds with Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Enjoy this eight minute video. Then let us know your favorite single image. Also, consider sharing a link to this blog post and video with a friend or with your photography club.
I will be doing lots more videos in the coming days, weeks, and months. You can see my previous YouTube videos here.
Fort DeSoto in fall is rife with tame birds. All of the images in this card were created at Fort DeSoto in either late September or very early October. I hope that you can join me there this fall. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Caspian Tern, Great Egret, Sandwich Tern with fish, Willet, Black-bellied Plover threat display, Snowy Egret, 2-year old Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron, juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron.
The Fall 2021 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tours
Fall 2021 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #1
3 1/2 Days: Sunday 19 September through the morning session on Wednesday 22 September 2021. $1999.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall 2021 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #2
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 5 October through the morning session on Friday 8 October. $1999.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall 2021 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #3
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 19 October through the morning session on Friday 22 October. $1999.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds and terns in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, night-herons, and gulls that winter on the T-shaped peninsula. With any luck at all, we should get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher is pretty much guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. And we will get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.
On this IPT, all will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure. Nikon and Canon folks and to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and SONY folks will learn to use Zebras so that they can be sure of making excellent exposures before pressing the shutter button.. Everyone will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly, you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it). The best news is that you will be able to take everything you learn home with you so that you will be a better photographer wherever and whenever you photograph.
There will be a Photoshop/image review session during or after lunch (included) each full day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.
This IPT will run with only a single registrant (though that is not likely to happen). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with Gulfport AirBnB information.
A $500 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check after you register. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with six folks, so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.
Obviously folks attending the IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. The good news is that the days are relatively short in late September. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, juvenile Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Heron, juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Stork, smiling Sea Scallop, Ruddy Turnstone scavenging needlefish, Great Blue Heron sunset silhouette at my secret spot, and southbound migrant tern flock blur.
Early and Late
Getting up early and staying out late is pretty much a staple on all BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours. Being in the field well before the sun comes up and staying out until sunset will often present unique photographic opportunities, opportunities that will be missed by those who need their beauty rest. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving.
BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT
Clockwise from upper left to center: Breeding plumage Dunlin, breeding plumage dark morph Reddish Egret displaying, breeding plumage Laughing Gull, breeding plumage Laughing Gull with fish, Laughing Gull on pelican’s head, screaming Royal Tern, Royal Terns copulating, Laughing Gulls copulating, Laughing Gull head portrait, breeding plumage Sandwich Tern with fish, and a very rare-in-Florida, breeding plumage White-rumped Sandpiper.
Fort DeSoto Site Guide
Can’t make the IPT? Get yourself a copy of the Fort DeSoto Site Guide. Learn the best spots, where to be when in what season in what weather. Learn the best wind directions for the various locations. BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT. You can see all of our Site Guides here.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Both of today’s featured images were created last Saturday on a very stormy day when no other photographers ventured out. With 250-odd keepers after the first edit (out of 5300+), it was a memorable day. And it proves the old adage: the worse the weather, the better photography. You will be seeing lots more images from that six hour session. If you are learning from the blog on a daily basis, do consider sharing a link with your photo friends or your photography club.
Your Favorite?
Which of today’s featured images is the strongest? All are invited to leave a comment letting us know why they made their choice.
Higher Res Viewing
Please note that the small JPEGs in each blog post are for display purposes only. Clicking on each blog image to enlarge it will bring up a stunning high resolution image. For unknown reasons, the smaller images simply do not look sharp. I am attempting to rectify that situation. In the meantime, click on the images to be impressed by the quality of the new higher res photos.
What’s Up?
Not much. Did lots of work on images and e-mails on Monday. Swam in the afternoon. Today is Tuesday 31 August with more of the same in store for me. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. Tomorrow: announcing the Fall Fort DeSoto IPTs.
Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks like me, who spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.
This blog post a bit more than an hour to prepare (including the time spent on the image optimizations), and makes 243 consecutive days with a new one. Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save 3% at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And doing so always earns my great appreciation.
Nikon AF-S 80-400mm/4.5-5.6G ED VR Lens with Extra
Price Reduced $200.00 on 30 August 2021! BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price
Paul Sher is offering a Nikon AF-S 80-400mm/4.5-5.6G ED VR in like new condition for $1196.95 (was $1396.95). The sale includes a Wimberley P-10 plate (a $52.00 value), the front and rear lens caps, the lens case, the original Nikon box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Paul Sher via e-mail or by phone at 1-503-248-9870 (Pacific time zone).
I owned and loved this super-sharp and very versatile lens when I shot Nikon. It was my go-to lens on my bucket-list Emperor Penguin trip to Snow Hill Island, Antartica. It complements either the 500 PF or the 600 f/4 VR lenses perfectly. As it sells new for $2,296.95, you can save an incredible $1100.00 on Paul’s pretty much new lens. artie
Please Remember
With income from IPTs now close to zero, please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
New and Better Bedfords Discount Policy!
You can now save 3% on all of your Bedfords photo gear purchases by entering the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Your discount will be applied to your pre-tax total. In addition, by using the code you will get 2nd day air shipping via Fed Ex.
Grab a Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III and save $14.99. Purchase a Canon EOS R5 and your discount will be $116.97. Purchase a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and save a remarkable $389.94! Your Bedford’s purchase no longer needs to be greater than $1,000.00 for you to receive a discount. The more you spend, the more you save.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would enjoy free second-day air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order to save 3% and enjoy free 2nd-day air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a9 ii, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs (remember those?) and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
This image was created on 28 August 2021 at Nickerson Beach. While seated on damp sand with the tripod lowered, I used the Induro GIT 304L topped by a Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro– with the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter(at 840mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 2500. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was dead-solid perfect: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 (stopped down 1/3 stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 11:18am on dark, windy, cloudy morning.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed just about perfectly and produced a sharp-on-the-eye image.
Image 1: Common Tern juvenile bathing.
Tight Bathing Bird Tips from the Wild Windy Saturday Past
When I see a bird dipping its breast into the water, I know that when it has finished its bath, it is practically guaranteed that it will rise up and flap its wings. If your AF system is up to it, the flapping-after-bath image (FABI) is the money shot. If you are too close to try for that, you can zoom out (with a zoom lens) or move back with a fixed focal length lens. The latter takes time, and in any event, there was a snow fence behind us last Saturday so there was no moving back. In addition, I had firmly seated my tripod in the sand, put on my reading glasses, and leveled the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro perfectly by centering the floating bubble on the head inside the scribed circle. That done, I could point my lens in any direction and have every image perfectly square to the world. And on cloudy days, you do not have to worry about sun angle.
In short, I was pretty much glued to my carefully chosen spot. Note: remember that in bathing bird situations, you want the wind (and the sun on clear days), behind you.
So when a small sandpiper began bathing at point blank range, about 15 feet at 840mm, or a tern started its bath at 25 feet, I knew that getting the bird in the frame without clipping any wings or feet (I got lots of those!) for the FABI was pretty much out of the question. So in those point-blank situations, I acquired focus and blasted away on the splashing bird. Though there will be lots of deletes, the results can often be dramatic, different, or comical. Or in rare cases, all three.
You can see a very nice FABI White-rumped Sandpiper image in the Nearly All Bird Photographers Stayed Home on a Wild Windy Weather Morning … blog post here.
The Lesson
When you are too close for the FABI, go for the tight splashing shot.
This image was also created on 28 August 2021 at Nickerson Beach. While seated on damp sand with the tripod lowered, I used the Induro GIT 304L topped by a Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro– with the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter(at 840mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 2000. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was dead-solid perfect: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 11:55am on dark, windy, cloudy morning.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed just about perfectly and produced a sharp-on-the-face image.
Image 2: Least Sandpiper juvenile bathing
The Least Sandpiper Submarine
Clicking on Image #2 to view the higher-res version will put a smile on most folk’s faces.
Background Color Question
Both of today’s featured images were made in dreary light on a cloudy day. With the tern image, I went with the gray-water background. With the sandpiper image, I used Viveza to make the water more blue and erased the effect on the bird (and the splashes) with a regular layer mask. Which background color do you like best?
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Please note that the small JPEGs in each blog post are for display purposes only. Clicking on each blog image to enlarge it will bring up a stunning high resolution image. For unknown reasons, the smaller images simply do not look sharp. I am attempting to rectify that situation. In the meantime, click on the images to be impressed by the quality of the new higher res photos.
What’s Up?
On Sunday morning, I returned to Nickerson Beach. The weather was quite similar so I headed to the same storm surge/rain pool pretty sure of another 5000+ image morning. Scroll down to see how that worked out. After my morning session, I picked my keepers from the 5300+ photos that I created on the wild wind Saturday and the 2500+ images made on Sunday morning. I wound up with about 375 keepers, all made at relatively high ISO ranging from 1600 to 3200. Many of them are quite special and will be shared with you here at some point.
Today is Monday 30 August 2021. After too much bird photography, I will be staying in this morning to get some work done. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.
Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks like me, who spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.
This blog post took less than an hour to prepare (including the time spent on the image optimization), and makes 242 consecutive days with a new one. Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save 3% at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And doing so always earns my great appreciation.
Please Remember
With income from IPTs now close to zero, please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
New and Better Bedfords Discount Policy!
You can now save 3% on all of your Bedfords photo gear purchases by entering the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Your discount will be applied to your pre-tax total. In addition, by using the code you will get 2nd day air shipping via Fed Ex.
Grab a Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III and save $14.99. Purchase a Canon EOS R5 and your discount will be $116.97. Purchase a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and save a remarkable $389.94! Your Bedford’s purchase no longer needs to be greater than $1,000.00 for you to receive a discount. The more you spend, the more you save.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would enjoy free second-day air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order to save 3% and enjoy free 2nd-day air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a9 ii, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs (remember those?) and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
This image was created on 29 August 2021 at Nickerson Beach Lido Beach, NY. While seated on dry sand, I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera (Body Only). ISO 2000. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/3200 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:44am on a cloudy morning.
Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed to perfection. Click on the image to enjoy a larger, hi-res version.
Image #1: Black Skimmer juvenile skimming in shallow surf
The Big Sunday Surprise
I arrived at about 6am and with the low light/cloudy morning I decided to bring only the amazing 600mm f/4 GM lens. With the lens and an a1 on my shoulder via the lens strap, my tripod in one hand, and a Panning Ground Pod in my vest, I headed straight to the storm surge/rain pool. The big surprise was that the pool had dried up completely. The only bird there was the carcass of a large, dead fledgling skimmer. As I had put the SONY 24-105 in my vest (don’t leave home without it), I made some nice (to my mind) images of the carcass, and then headed down to the beach. With a wind from the northeast I expected skimmers skimming right at me. I enjoyed lots of those, but only after photographing several Great Black-backed Gulls (mostly the handsome juveniles with their checkerboard patterns) picking at and swallowing young skimmers.
The sequence from which today’s featured image was selected was the best flight sequence I have ever created of a single bird. I had about 50 frames all sharp and all with the bird being framed nicely. Picking the best few as a challenge. As all of the frames had the bird coming right at me, wing position and the juxtaposition of the bill to the surf were the main deciding factors. With this frame, I particularly liked the twist of the far wing. All are invited to post a short critique sharing their thoughts on today’s featured image.
Additionally, if you have ever had the experience of expecting a great bird photography session that did not pan out, please feel free to share your story. Don’t get me wrong, I had a great morning on Sunday. It was just not what I had been expecting.
SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group
The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group is going great guns as more and more folks chime in with thoughtful questions and experience-based answers. As the a1 is becoming more readily available, more and more folks are getting their hands on this amazing body. With two folks joining yesterday, we are now up to an astounding 77 lucky and blessed photographers! Early on, we discussed the myriad AF options. I gave my opinion as to the best one for flight and general bird photography. More recently, we have been in contact with folks at SONY sharing our thoughts, experiences, and frustrations with the EVF blackout problem.
All who purchased their Alpha a1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link will receive a free subscription to the Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up and Info Updates after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.) This same service may be purchased by anyone with an a1 body via a $150.00 PayPal sent to birdsasart@verizon.net indicating payment for Alpha a1 Info Updates. Alternatively, folks can call Jim weekdays at 1-863-692-0906 to pay via credit card. New members will receive composite e-mails that summarize all previous discussions.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
